Wingman
by lizzybennettdarcy
Summary: It's been about a month since Castiel removed the Mark of Cain from Dean's arm. In that time, Castiel has somehow becomes the perfect wingman. And Dean couldn't be less thrilled about it. Canon divergent mid-season 10. Spoilers up to season 10.


Dean raised the bottle to his lips and took a long pull. Rolling his shoulders did nothing to ease the tension that had settled between them. The bar was noisy and he couldn't quite make out the conversation happening across the booth. He watched Cas' lips move but couldn't quite make out what he was whispering in the ear of his companion. She was pretty. Brown hair and blue eyes. Nice body and a cute face. Dean's teeth ground together and he drained his bottle.

"Let me get you another, Handsome." Tanya, Talia? Dean's companion offered, swishing her hips as she sauntered towards the bar. Dean knew that she had the attention of every other man in the bar. But she didn't have his.

It had started sometime shortly after Cas had removed the Mark of Cain from Dean's arm. At some point over the last year or maybe just in the last month, Castiel, Angel of the Lord, had become the perfect wingman. And Dean couldn't be less thrilled about it.

"Here, Baby. Nice and cold." The woman leaned across him and pressed her cleavage against his arm as she placed the beer in front of him. She didn't move back, just leaving her tits pressed into his side. His lips turned down and he shot another glance over at his best friend. _Jessica_ had a hand on Cas' shoulder and was leaning into him. Dean's hands fisted in response to the closeness and he couldn't quite make himself look at Cas' reaction to her attention.

"Is that right?" Dean replied to whatever the woman beside him was nattering on about.

Dean felt nausea crawling around inside of him and he felt trapped. Cas was chatting up the friend of the woman he'd picked out for Dean. He knew Dean well enough to pick out exactly the woman Dean would have chosen himself. Long gone was his awkward angel. Cas had charmed the women within moments and scored a corner booth for the four of them. A sly wink had been tossed Dean's way before he gave his attention wholeheartedly to the friend. And that wink had damn near killed Dean.

Dean had always wanted a wingman. Sam was good at it but rarely felt like helping his older brother score. Only willing when he felt particularly bad about something or Dean was dying. This is what he had wanted all those years ago when he'd tried to train Cas into a man's man.

But Dean didn't want Castiel to be a man's man. He wasn't sure that he ever really had. He liked that his friend was awkward. He enjoyed listening to Cas' observations about bees and incredulity at the absurd prices of baking materials.

As he studied Cas and the woman he was talking to, Dean couldn't help but notice that Cas was behaving like Dean. He was moving exactly like Dean. As if he'd spent many years watching Dean pick up women.

Which of course he had.

Dean was being rude to the woman Cas had tried to set him up with. He knew that. But he just didn't care. She was beautiful and she was exactly his type. But the bigger part of him was wondering if Cas planned on going the whole mile. Would he leave with Jessica just to ensure that Dean got laid?

Dean groaned and tipped the bottle all the way back. At this rate he was going to drink the whole damn bar.

What if Cas left with her? Dean didn't think he could handle that. What if she was a reaper? Cas attracted crazy, after all. He'd lost his virginity to a psycho reaper who killed him right after! Dean narrowed his eyes as he studied Cas' date. She didn't _look_ like a psycho.

Dean didn't want to risk it though. His mouth opened to spout anything to get the two of them out of there _alone_ when a long nailed hand closed around his upper thigh. A squeak escaped his lips instead and his head swivelled towards his assailant. She blinked up at him through long lashes and Dean flinched. Her lips were too red and her eyes were wild. She stared him down hungrily and Dean found himself losing any and all attraction to her.

Something must have showed on his face because her smile slipped a fraction. She bared her teeth in what might have been a smile and winked. "Let me get you another, Big boy."

She strutted away once more and Dean shook his head. He needed to get the fuck out of there. He shot another glance over at Cas and swallowed heavily when he saw just how close he was sitting to his date. A pang of something he wasn't ready to name shot through him and he hoped it was fatal.

"Here you –" Dean stood suddenly and almost knocked her over backwards.

"I need air." He held up a hand when she made to follow him. " _Alone_."

It took too much effort to walk calmly when in reality he wanted to run. He made it out the front door and slipped around the building and into an alley. He leaned against the brick wall behind him and closed his eyes.

It was his own damn fault of course. Cas was only being what Dean had always hoped he'd be. The perfect wingman, the uncomplicated bro. Dean had spent so many years trying to make Cas _fit_ into a carefully labeled box and he finally did. He was Dean's friend. Dean could forget about the not-so-platonic aspects of their relationship. He could forget the lingering glances and the lack of personal space. They could let go of all the "I need you's" and sacrificing. And Cas and Dean could just be buddies.

That was what Dean had always wanted. Right?

Except it wasn't.

Maybe part of it was Cas trying to absolve his own misplaced guilt. Cas had been the one to save him. He'd been the one to purify the mark from Dean's arm. He had raised Dean from Perdition yet again. But it had taken him nearly a year to do so. And Dean had spilled so much innocent blood, done so many terrible things and Cas blamed himself for it. It was classic Cas really. Classic in that he'd learned it all from the Winchesters, from Dean specifically.

Maybe he was just trying to give Dean what Dean usually used to cope. A couple of drinks, some laughs and a beautiful woman to spend some time with.

But Dean didn't want to drown his sorrows. If it wasn't for Cas' healing, he was sure his liver would have failed 3098 times over by now. He didn't particularly feel like laughing after the year he'd had. And he definitely didn't want anything to do with the woman waiting for him back inside the bar.

And more than anything else, Dean really, really did not want Cas to leave with someone else. Not that he necessarily wanted Cas to leave with him, in the classic sense. But he figured he'd die if Cas walked out that door with Jessica. It wasn't because Cas was an angel and shouldn't get his whistle wet every now and then. Cas deserved amazing sex and decadence and everything he wanted.

Dean just really, _really_ didn't want the brunette to be the one to give it to him.

He felt Cas' presence even before the angel said a thing. The warmth that always surrounded him when the angel was around was comforting.

"Hello Dean." A gruff voice greeted from the entry of the alleyway.

Dean opened his eyes and rolled his head to look over at his friend. "I just needed a minute, Cas." He swallowed painfully. "You didn't have to follow me. I know you were um," He cleared his throat. "Hitting it off with-"

"Dean." Cas stepped closer and tilted his head. "What is wrong?"

Dean's lips twitched at the familiarity of Cas' head tilt. It had been so long since Cas had been confused. He'd become so damn _human._

"Dean?" Cas repeated and worry crept into those bright blue eyes of his.

Dean realised that maybe he'd been staring a bit too long and had failed to answer his friend. He didn't however, have an answer.

"Don't worry about it, Cas." Dean blinked rapidly as moisture seemed to collect in his eyes. "You should go back inside and –"

A low growl ripped itself out of Castiel's chest and suddenly he was very much in Dean's personal space.

"I thought this was what you wanted. This is how you usually deal with traumatic events." Cas seemed to shrink a bit. "Did I do it wrong? Did I pick the wrong woman?"

Dean surged off of the wall and wrapped his arms around his friend. He held him tightly against his chest and relaxed when Cas' arms wound around his waist without hesitation. He buried himself in Cas' neck and breathed in deeply. Voices were screaming inside his head at how dangerous this was, how close he was to crossing very clearly defined lines.

"I don't want her, Cas." Dean mumbled into skin. "I just can't. Thanks but I can't."

Cas was silent and the two of them held each other. Dean wanted to encourage Cas to go back inside. Because he was a masochist and an idiot. But he'd already suggested it twice and if third time was a charm than Dean would kick his own ass.

"What _do_ you want, Dean?" Cas asked after several minutes. His voice was quiet and almost afraid.

Dean pulled away and he saw Cas' face fall. He shook his head and leaned forward, against every single one of his instincts and pressed his forehead against his friends.

"I don't know, Cas. I just don't." He felt helpless and he didn't know how to express it.

Cas squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before letting out a small puff of air. "What _do_ you know, Dean?"

Dean stumbled backwards with the weight of the question. He grabbed his head and dragged his fingers through his hair. He paced for a few moments, debating about honesty and practicality. All the while Castiel stood patiently, watching him with the same acceptance he'd always given Dean. And he knew in that moment that nothing he could say would change that.

"All I know is that I don't her. I don't want anyone in any bar anymore." His eyes met Cas' and he exhaled slowly. "I know that I've done a lot of things I regret this last year. I've killed innocents and hurt Sam, hurt you. I have plenty to regret. And yet," He paused.

Cas' lips twitched in a half-smile. "And yet?"

Dean's hands fisted at his side and his chin lifted defiantly against the onslaught of cynical whispers in his head. "And yet I think that letting this night play out the way you had planned would trump each and every single one of those regrets."

"You mean if you left with Tanya and I –"

"Left with her friend." Dean interrupted.

Cas' lips twitched again and Dean glared. "Her name was Jessica, Dean."

Dean growled. "Whatever."

Cas was full-blown smiling now and Dean couldn't manage to stay irritated for long. He moved to Cas' side and fell into step beside him. They left the alley and walked towards the Impala, leaving the bar behind them.

"Perhaps we should do things differently then." Cas advised before his fingers tangled with Dean's between them.

Panic rose in his throat as he realised things were changing yet again. But a grin stretched his lips despite that panic.

Maybe this was what he'd wanted from Cas all along.


End file.
